Marketing Plan Template - Small Business Administration

1 Marketing plan Template 1 INTRODUCTION The following pages contain detailed information on how to write a Marketing plan for your Business . Your Marketing plan is a vital part of your overall Business plan and strategy. Our hope is that this outline will help you think through aspects of your proposed Business operations and the channels you will use to reach your target market that you may not have yet considered. Depending on the kind of Business you are planning, some of the information may not be relevant.

2 If this is the case, feel free to skip or adapt parts of the plan to fit your Business model. The Microsoft Excel worksheets have been included to assist you in gathering information. You can complete and incorporate them as part of your plan ; include them in the Appendix and use the information to write sections of the plan , or skip them entirely. NOTE: Some of these worksheets have been Protected in order to retain the formulas. If you need to increase column width, you will have to Unprotect the sheet. Click on Excel Help to learn how to do this.

3 Cells that require text entry will expand to hold all text that you enter. WHY WRITE A Marketing plan ? Whether you are just starting your Business or thinking about growing your operations, a good Marketing plan includes everything from identifying your target customers to how you will reach them to how you will create repeat buyers. Your Marketing plan is the roadmap you will use to get unlimited customer loyalty and improve the success of your organization. 2 I. Executive Summary A.

4 Brief description/overview of your Marketing plan write this section of your plan last II. Products/Services A. Clarify exactly what your Business offers III. Target Customers A. Identify your target customer and their characteristics that would make them interested in your product or service IV. Unique Selling Proposition and Competitive Analysis A. Identify what makes your product or service unique. What problem are you fixing for your target customer that your competition is not? B. Identify your direct and indirect competition.

5 How will your Business be different? V. Pricing and Sales Volume Potential A. Identify how you will price your product or service B. Identify your sales volume VI. Location Analysis A. Where will your Business be located? How will this impact your pricing and sales volume potential? VII. Marketing Strategies A. Packaging B. Distribution How will you communicate about your product with your target customer? C. Promotion, Advertising, Direct Selling D. Customer Service VIII. Joint Ventures and Partnerships A. Identify partners who can help maximize your access to new customers IX.

6 Retention Strategy A. Identify what you will do to gain returning customers to your Business X. Financial Projections and Goal Setting A. Identify your Marketing expenditures and projected revenue based on these efforts B. Set realistic and tangible goals to evaluate your Marketing success 3 I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Written last, your executive summary is a summary of all of the other sections of your Marketing plan . Your executive summary will give you and other parities (employees, advisors, lenders, etc.) an overview of your plan .

7 Remember, this could be the first time your audience learns about the unique value proposition of your Business . Be enthusiastic, professional, complete, yet concise. II. PRODUCTS/SERVICES Clarify exactly what your Business offers and your plans for the future direction of the Business . Suggested length is one or two paragraphs. Describe the products and/or services you offer in detail. If you are expanding a current Business , describe any new products and services you plan to offer in the future. Are they an extension or expansion of your current offerings, or are they completely different?

8 Will they change the definition of your Business ? Are they add-on offerings for your current customers, or will you be seeking a new market to buy them? Explain the features of each product/service and what benefit those features will bring to your customers. Features are characteristics of your product/service. Benefits are what will prompt the public to buy from you. Be certain that your claims are truthful, verifiable, and meaningful. For example, a feature of your Business might be free delivery. The benefit of that feature to the consumer will be convenience.

9 Is there seasonality to your Business ? If so, explain and discuss how you will handle uneven seasonal cash flow. Describe your future growth plans. Add any other information about your product or services you think is important III. TARGET CUSTOMERS Describe your target market. Who is currently buying or most likely to buy your products and services in the future? Is your market a specific segment of the population or the entire population in general? What are the size, location, and characteristics of your potential market?

10 If you have more than one target market, please describe each market. For greatest success, you want to focus your Marketing efforts on the individuals or organizations that are your best customers. Suggested length is one or two paragraphs for each target market. For products and services aimed at consumers: Describe their general demographic characteristics, paint a picture of your current customers. How old are they? What sex are they? Where do they live and work, and what is their income level? What other characteristics do they share?